China sanctions six U.S. companies as trade frictions persist

BEIJING — China announced sanctions on six U.S. companies on Thursday as frictions in the two nations’ trade relationship continued to rise, despite a highly anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Three of the firms were added to China’s unreliable entity list, effectively banning them from trade with China, according to a statement from the Commerce Ministry. The companies are Saronic Technologies, an unmanned vehicle maker; Aerkomm, a satellite technology company; and Oceaneering International, a subsea engineering firm.

The ministry said the six companies have engaged in so-called military-technical cooperation with Taiwan, severely undermining China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests. The action underscores Beijing’s insistence that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by any means necessary.

Separately, three other U.S. firms were added to China’s export control list, preventing them from receiving Chinese shipments of dual-use items with both military and civilian applications. The firms are Huntington Ingalls Industries, Planate Management Group and Global Dimensions. The Commerce Ministry said the three companies “endanger China’s national security and interests.”

Taiwan’s status remains a central irritant in U.S.-China relations. Beijing has repeatedly warned against any form of military or political cooperation with Taipei and has advanced export controls and other measures in response to perceived security threats tied to Taiwan’s development and support networks. In July, Beijing also imposed export controls on eight enterprises tied to Taiwan’s military infrastructure, signaling a broader use of economic tools to pressure Taipei and its international partners.

The sanctions come as Washington and Beijing have sought to manage differences over trade, technology and the ownership of TikTok. After a lengthy phone call with Xi last week, Trump said the two leaders would meet at a regional summit in South Korea at the end of October, signaling a continued push for dialogue despite ongoing tensions.

Beijing and Washington have repeatedly described their talks as an ongoing process aimed at narrowing differences rather than a quick fix. The latest actions by China illustrate how Beijing is using non-tariff measures to respond to perceived threats to its sovereignty and security, while signaling that trade frictions could persist as the two powers maneuver over technology access, investment, and regional influence.